Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/08/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Marc James Small wrote: > At 06:12 PM 8/10/1999 GMT, Dan S wrote: > > > >Also, since the distance from the film plane to the lens is LONGER in the > >older screw mounts wouldn't this require a major redesign of the mounts on > >current M lenses? This is not just a matter of slapping on an adaptor. It > >seems unlikely that Leica would go through that much expense for what would > >seem like a small market. > > Well, no. The difference is 1mm -- 28.8mm for LTM, 27.8mm for M mount. > This difference is made up quite easily in the LTM's mount being 1mm > shorter on its mounting surface than the M lens. > > The real cost is that of fabricating those bloody 39mm by 26 tpi threads. > The rest of the mount would be inexpensive to make. > > Marc > Marc, I would say, it is a lot cheaper, to make a screw thread on an automatic Lathe, then the bayonet mount which takes quite a fair bit of milling plus the extra components. I could never really see, why after the initial euphoria of the M cameras wore of a bit, Leitz did not duplicate most of the modern lenses in screw mount. There would have been no loss in sales. Specially, since the owners of screw mount cameras had to be content with second hand lenses only, once the screw mount lenses where discontinued. I am sure quite a few would have bought new Leica lenses for their treasured screw mount cameras. In a way, maybe we have to thank the Japanese for the re-introduction of the Leica screw mount. Leica take note and get on to the band wagon!!! Copy the Japanese!!! Regards, Horst Schmidt